OTTAWA – An invitational summit of prominent decision-makers from Canada and France will gather in Ottawa to discuss how policy makers can grow local content industries in the face of increasing digital disruption. The summit, from November 14-16, is being organized by The Embassy of France in Canada and the Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC).
Approximately 70 individuals representing key organizations from France and Canada have been invited to engage in a discussion of content issues. Topic areas include new technology-enabled consumer behaviour, changing business models and new opportunities, and the evolution of public policy and regulation in the communications spheres.
The Future of Digital Content – A France-Canada Summit will consist of panel discussions, small group meetings, considerations of real-world case studies, and keynote speeches from prominent thinkers who will address audio, audio-visual and interactive content issues. Their insights and recommendations will be compiled and published into a final report.
“Today’s content industries are at a crossroads. The opportunities that are the result of technological and consumer behavioural change are global, but public policy remains focused on domestic markets in mature industries. This summit will be an opportunity to discuss how content has evolved as a result of new technology and consumer choice, and how policy makers can pivot to ensure sustainable content industries in a competitive environment,” says Namir Anani, President and CEO of ICTC.
“Canada and France have a long history of cooperation to sustain our respective industries,” says Thomas Michelon, Cultural Counsellor at the Embassy of France in Canada. “Establishing a cross-Atlantic dialog on these issues will help position our respective countries to strengthen our content industries to the benefit of citizens.”
The summit will be joined by Madame Fleur Pellerin, Minister for Small and Medium Enterprises, Innovation, and the Digital Economy in France (to be confirmed), along with many other influential leaders from French and Canadian organizations such as: Music Canada, Quebecor, the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN), the Canada Media Fund (CMF), Telefilm Canada, the Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée (CNC), the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund, TV5 Québec Canada, ARTE, the Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC), the Canadian Interactive Alliance, the Conseil Supérieur de l’Audiovisuel (CSA), the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), the French Ministry of Culture and Communication, the French Ministry of Productive Recovery, Synaptop, Noomiz, as well as private entities such as Google, Samsung, Telus and more.
“The multiplication of international distribution platforms like iTunes, Netflix or Spotify has blurred the line between local and international content,” says J. Serge Sasseville, Senior Vice President, Corporate and Institutional Affairs of Quebecor Media. “In this context, the challenge for countries such as France and Canada that are committed to maintaining a strong and distinctive cultural voice is both to develop the business models that foster the development of such voices and to put in place a regulatory environment that is flexible enough to allow local artists and companies to take advantage of these new platforms. As we look for answers, discussions such as these will hopefully allow us to learn from one another’s successes and failures.”
“Music companies in Canada have responded to the rapidly evolving digital landscape by embracing digital platforms, licensing new services and enticing others to investigate Canada’s relatively under served market,” says Graham Henderson, President of Music Canada. “It’s the start of a reenergized industrial strategy for music in this country that requires a modernized public policy framework and the kind of collaboration encouraged by the Franco-Canadian Digital Summit.”
The summit has been organized with the active participation, guidance, and financial support of multiple partners, including Quebecor Media, MusicCanada, the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) and the Canada Media Fund (CMF).
“SOCAN strives to be at the forefront of the digital frontier, both internally and for our more than 110,000 members,” says Eric Baptiste, CEO of SOCAN, the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada. “The music industry has been revolutionized by technology, and ensuring that national and global policies are sustainable and competitive depends on clear communication. Never has dialog been more important, and the France-Canadian Digital Summit ensures that all parties are in tune with the present and prepared for the future.”
“The Canada Media Fund champions the creation and promotion of successful, innovative Canadian content and software applications for current and emerging digital platforms through financial support and industry intelligence,” says Valerie Creighton, President and CEO of the Canada Media Fund. “We look forward to taking an active part in the summit to learn from and share with Canadian and French industry leaders as we contribute to shaping how both countries can meet the demands of the future.”
The summit has also received the financial support of Radio Canada, Telefilm Canada, the Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC), the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund, the Société de développement des entreprises culturelles (SODEC), and TV5 Québec Canada.
